The San Francisco Symphony Administration and the Union representing the musicians have been working towards a new agreement since several months before the contract expired in November 2024. While progress has been made, the negotiations have reached a critical juncture. This week, the Administration presented its “Last, Best, and Final” offer.  

The San Francisco Symphony’s orchestra is one of the top five highest-paid orchestras in the country. Our Last, Best, and Final offer provides a wage increase that brings the new starting minimum salary to $189,000. The proposal also provides for an increase to the defined benefit pension plan, making it the second-highest in the industry, as well as exceptional health benefits and 10 weeks of paid vacation annually. This is an extremely strong offer that also requires us to take risks, stretching financially to meet the new contract terms in the years to come. It also demonstrates our faith in the future of this organization and our deep commitment to our musicians and this community. 

Key terms of the Administration’s Last, Best, and Final Offer: 

DURATION: Three-year proposal, retroactive to November 24, 2024, and through November 22, 2027.  

TERMS: 

• Wages: A starting minimum annual salary of $189,332, rising to $196,976 by the end of the contract. 

• The three-year proposal starts at $3,641 minimum weekly scale (MWS) in the first year (retroactive to November 24, 2024)—representing a 5.5% increase above the current MWS. Each subsequent year provides 2% increases: $3,714 in contract year 2025–26 and $3,788 in 2026–27.  

• There are also many forms of additional variable compensation that are paid to musicians, most of which have rates stipulated by the collective bargaining agreement. These forms of compensation are not part of minimum weekly scale and include items such as overtime, seniority pay, run-out fees, soloist and small ensemble fees, among others. Musicians also earn additional compensation for optional activities, including Community Chamber Concerts, the chamber series at Davies Symphony Hall, and Youth Orchestra coaching.   

• Pension: A maximum annual defined benefit pension of $84,000 (a 2.43% increase from the current benefit)—the second-highest pension benefit among orchestras in the U.S. and a rare benefit among most industries today. 

• Health: The Symphony provides the members of the Orchestra with a choice of comprehensive medical insurance plans, with the coverage provided among the most expensive in the industry. The Symphony will absorb all increases in costs to its healthcare plans over the three years, maintaining extremely modest contributions from individual musicians, ranging from $7 to $38 per week. 

• Vacation: 10 weeks of paid vacation will continue.